boogie noun 1 a black person. Offensive US, 1923. 2 the vagina US, 1969.
3 syphilis, especially in its second stage US, 1982
boogie verb 1 to dance, especially with abandon US, 1947. 2 to go,
especially in a hurry
US, 1970. 3 to have sex US, 1960
boogie box noun a large portable stereo system associated,
stereotypically, with black youth culture
US, 1987
boogie-joogie verb to fool around US, 1968
boogie man; boogy man noun a mythical demon, used to frighten
children
US, 1905
boogie pack noun a pocket-sized portable cassette-player with
lightweight headphones UK, 1982
boogie party noun a party held to raise money to pay the rent US,
1982
boohonged adjective drunk UK, 2003
boohoo verb to cry loudly UK, 1840
boo hoo used ironically for pretending sorrow. Echoic of genuine
weeping
UK, 2001
boojie noun a middle-class person. A refinement of ‘bourgeois’ and
not used with kindness US, 1970
book noun 1 in horse racing, the schedule of a jockey’s riding
assignments
US, 1976. 2 a betting operation US, 1917. 3 in sports, the
collective, conventional wisdom in a given situation
US, 1985.
4 collectively, the mares bred with a single stallion in a year US, 1997.
5 ten thousand doses of LSD soaked into paper US, 1999. 6 one
pound of drugs US, 1976. 7 half a kilogram of drugs US, 1976. 8 ahard-

working, focused, serious student
US, 1968. < do the book (and
cover)
to serve a life sentence in prison US, 1976. < get the book
1 in prison, to be reprimanded UK, 1996. 2 to become religious. The
book is the Bible but other works could apply equally well UK, 1996.
< make book to bet US, 1962. < on the book 1 used of a high-
security prisoner who must constantly be identified by a small
official book and photograph
UK, 1996. 2 in the theatre, working as a
prompter. The book in question is a play’s text UK, 1964. 3 on credit
UK, 1984. < the book the unwritten code of style and conduct
observed by pimps US, 1972. < throw the book at; give the
book
to sentence someone to a maximum penalty allowed by law
US, 1908
book verb 1 to study US, 1968. 2 to realise; to see and understand UK,
1970. 3 to assume something UK, 1999. 4 to depart, usually hurriedly
US, 1974. < book a party of two to arrange for oral sex to be
performed on two male prisoners US, 1989. < book the action to
accept a bet US, 1980. < book your seat to pad the seat of your
trousers with newspaper or a book before going to be caned.
Schoolboy usage, post World War 2 until the 1970s when corporal
punishment was outlawed
UK, 1961
book adjective acceptable, agreeable. Derives from texting, in particu-
lar from the predictive text facility: when attempting to text the
word COOL the word ‘book’ may be offered UK, 2005
book-beater noun a serious, hard-working student US, 1945
book ’em, Danno used for humorous suggestion that somebody

has been caught in an improper act. From the US television series
Hawaii Five -O (1968–1980), in which Detective Steve McGarrett
would order Detective ‘Danno’ Williams to arrest a suspect
US, 1968
bookend verb in twelve-step recovery programmes such as
Alcoholics Anonymous, to speak with a fellow recovering addict
both before and after confronting a difficult situation US, 1998
booket noun a woman who receives a cunnilinguist’s attention. West
Indian patois for ‘bucket’ UK, 2002
book gook noun a diligent, socially inept student. Teen Slang US, 1951
bookie noun a bookmaker. Sometimes spelt ‘booky’ UK, 1885
bookie’s chance noun in horse racing, a horse with high odds
(12–1 or higher) that bookmakers deem the favourite AUSTRALIA,
1989
bookman noun a prisoner serving a life sentence US, 1949
books noun 1 used as a figurative description of membership in a
criminal organisation
US, 1964. 2 employment documents that are
returned to a dismissed worker UK: SCOTL AND, 1988. < do books to
steal or forge official benefit books, such as child benefit UK, 1996.
< in someone’s bad books in disfavour UK, 1861.
< in someone’s good books in favour UK, 1839
book up verb to study US, 1975
boola-boola adjective characterised by extreme boosterism and
spirited support of an institution. The song ‘Boola Boola’ has been
one of Yale University’s football fight songs since 1901 when it was
written by Allan M. Hirsh, who explained the meaning of the word
as follows: ‘It is interesting to note that many people have asked
us what the word "Boola" meant, and we said it was Hawaiian and
meant a joy cry. We stuck to this for several years until someone

came along and pointed out to us that there was no B in the
Hawaiian language and therefore Boola could not possibly be
Hawaiian. So the fact remains that we do not know what it means,
except that it was euphonious and easy to sing and to our young
ears sounded good’. The song was an ‘adaptation’ of an 1898 ‘La
Hoola Boola’ performed by Bob Cole and Billy Johnson
US, 1900
boolhipper noun a black leather jacket with a belt in the back US,
1970
boolum noun a boaster or an intimidating braggart. From the Irish
buaileam sciath IRELAND, 2000
boom noun 1 potent marijuana US, 1946. 2 fake crack cocaine US, 2001.
3 the erect penis US, 1958
boom adjective fashionable, pleasing CANADA, 1993
boom! used for expressing enthusiasm US, 2002
boom and zoom; b and z verb in air combat, to use a relative
altitude advantage to attack an opponent (to boom) and then
return to a superior position out of danger (to zoom) US, 1986
boombastic adjective excellent; also (of music) resounding.
Elaboration of conventional ‘boom’ (a booming sound) or BOOM
(pleasing), informed by BOOM (marijuana) CANADA, 1991
boom-boom noun 1 sex. From Asian pidgin. Major use in Vietnam
during the war US, 1964. 2 the buttocks BAHAMAS, 1982. 3 an act of
defecation. Children’s bathroom vocabulary US, 1960. 4 live music
US, 2003. 5 a pistol US, 1945. 6 a cowboy or Western film US, 1947
boom-boom verb to copulate US, 1971
boom boom! used for signalling or accompanying the punch-line of
a joke, especially a bad or corny joke. Coined as a catchphrase for
children’s television puppet Basil Brush, first seen in 1963 UK, 1963
boom-boom girl noun a prostitute. Vietnam usage US, 1966

boom-boom house; boom-boom parlor noun a brothel US, 1966
boom-booms-a-gogo noun a unit of quad-fifty machine guns.
Korean war usage US, 1982
boom box noun a large, portable radio and tape player US, 1981
boom boy noun a marijuana user US, 1992
boom bye; boom bwoy noun a homosexual male. Jamaican patois
rendering of BUM BOY JAMAICA, 2002
boomer noun 1 a large example of something AUSTRALIA, 1843. 2 a large
kangaroo AUSTRALIA, 1830. 3 a powerful, hard-breaking wave AUSTRALIA,
1942. 4 a nuclear submarine armed with missiles US, 1976. 5 a
member of the baby boom generation, born between roughly
1945 and 1955
US, 1982. 6 a worker who travels from job to job US,
1893. 7 during aerial refuelling, the boom operator on the fuelling
plane US, 1986. 8 in trucking, a binder used to tie down a load US,
1971
boomer! excellent! AUSTRALIA, 1998
boomerang noun 1 a young person who moves back in with their
parents after moving out US, 1997. 2 a repeat offender, a recidivist
US, 2002. 3 a plane flight that returns without reaching its
destination because of poor weather
ANTARCTICA, 1994. 4 a man with
more than one girlfriend. In West Indian and UK black use UK, 2002.
5 in television and film making, a device that holds a filter in front
of a light US, 1987
boomerang verb to return to prison shortly after being released US,
1992
boomers noun LSD UK, 2004
booming adjective excellent US, 1990
boogie | booming 80

boom out verb to go to the US to work CANADA, 2002
boomps-a-daisy! used as a childish catchphrase or light-hearted
response to trivialise a minor physical accident. Blending
WHOOPS-A-
DAISY!
with ‘bump’. ‘Hands, Knees and Boomps-a-Daisy!’ was a
popular song and ‘The Boomps-a-Daisy’ a popular dance in the
1930s
UK, 1961
booms noun drums US, 1960
boom squad noun the group of prison guards who are used to quell
disturbances
US, 2000
boom wagon noun in trucking, a truck hauling dynamite US, 1942
boomy adjective emphasising low frequencies, producing poorly
defined sound. Used in television and film making
US, 1987
boon noun a black person. Possibly reduced from BOON COON (a good
friend)
US, 1967
boon adjective close, intimate US, 1969
boona noun < give it the full boona to hold nothing back. From
boona, an Indian dish which, when served in some Glasgow Indian
restaurants, is available as a ‘half boona’ or a ‘full boona’
UK:
SCOTLAND
, 1988
boon coon noun a very close friend US, 1958
boondagger noun a lesbian with overtly masculine mannerisms and
affectations US, 1972

boondie noun 1 in Western Australia, a rock. Probably from an
Australian Aboriginal language AUSTRALIA, 2002. 2 in Western Australia,
a piece of conglomerated sand used by children to throw at one
another in play
AUSTRALIA, 1952
boondock verb 1 in trucking, to drive on back roads, avoiding major
motorways US, 1971. 2 to drive off-road through a remote area US,
1993. 3 in tiddlywinks, to send an opponent’s wink a long way away,
especially out of the playing area. After US BOONDOCKS (an isolated
region) UK, 1980. 4 in tiddlywinks, to shoot from a position far from
the action US, 1977
boondocker noun a party held in the country US, 1966
boondockers noun marine-issued combat boots US, 1942
boondocks noun the remote end of nowhere US, 1909
boondoggle noun a business trip or venture designed for the
enjoyment of those involved, not for its stated purpose
US, 1935
booner noun 1 a talent scout. An allusion to American frontier
pioneer Daniel Boone US, 1981. 2 an unrefined and loutish person
from a lower socio-economic area AUSTRALIA, 1996
boong noun an Aboriginal person; hence, any other dark-skinned
person. From the Australian Aboriginal language Wemba, meaning
‘person’. Used disparagingly by white people. Now strongly taboo
AUSTRALIA, 1924
boonga noun a Pacific Islander or any other dark-skinned person NEW
ZEALAND
, 1957
boong moll noun a prostitute who serves dark-skinned men. A com-
bination of
BOONG (an Aboriginal or dark-skinned man) and MOLL

(a prostitute) AUSTRALIA, 1953
boongy noun the buttocks BAHAMAS, 1995
boonie hat noun a fatigue hat, made of cotton canvas with a brim
around, that kept the sun and rain off the heads of American
soldiers in Vietnam US, 1972
boonie rat noun a soldier serving in the jungle or other remote area
US, 1967
boonies noun a remote rural area. An abbreviation of BOONDOCKS US,
1956
booooo! an exclamation of approval. The difference with ‘boo’ (an
unlexicalised verbalisation of disapproval) is essentially one of
intention UK, 2005
booorrring adjective very boring. Slang by drawn out pronunciation.
From popular entertainment
US, 1981
boo out verb to leave US, 1959
boops noun a man who supports a woman with whom he lives
without the benefit of marriage JAMAICA, 2003
boopsie noun a woman supported by a man with whom she lives
without the benefit of marriage
JAMAICA, 1996
boo-reefer noun marijuana US, 1972
booshway noun the boss. A slurring of the French bourgeois CANADA,
1952
boost noun 1 a theft, especially a car theft US, 1995. 2 in poker, an
increased or raised bet
US, 1988. 3 a background player in a large
confidence swindle
US, 1985. 4 crack cocaine UK, 2003. < on the
boost

engaged in shoplifting US, 1962
boost verb 1 to steal, especially (in the US) to steal a car or to
shoplift
US, 1928. 2 to illegally open a lock using force, skill or tech-
nology. From the sense ‘to steal’
UK, 2001. 3 in poker, to increase the
amount bet on a hand US, 1967. 4 to inject a drug intravenously US,
1998
. < boost one to defecate US, 1992
booster noun 1 a thief, especially a shoplifter or car thief US, 1908. 2 a
full-time, career thief
US, 1977. 3 a criminal who specialises in selling
stolen goods
US, 1985. 4 a confederate of a cheat who lures players
to a card game, carnival concession or other game of chance US,
1906. 5 an additional dose of a drug taken to prolong intoxication
US, 1970
booster fold noun a special inside jacket pocket used by shoplifters
US, 1972
booster pill noun a central nervous system stimulant US, 1971
booster stick noun a tobacco cigarette that has been enhanced with
marijuana or marijuana extract US, 1973
boosting ben noun a special overcoat used by shoplifters US, 1950
boosting bloomers; booster bloomers noun underwear designed
for concealing merchandise that has been shoplifted US, 1972
boot noun 1 dismissal from employment or other engagement. The
image of being kicked away
UK, 1881. 2 a black person US, 1954. 3 a
newly enlisted or drafted recruit in the armed services, especially
the marines US, 1911. 4 in the US Army, a second lieutenant US, 1966.

5 amusement or pleasure US, 1979. 6 a bootleg product US, 1999.
7 while injecting a drug intravenously, the drawing of blood into
the syringe to mix with the drug US, 1987. 8 any central nervous
system depressant US, 1992. 9 a bag of heroin UK, 1996. 10 a cigarette
US, 1996. 11 a woman, especially an unattractive woman UK, 1983.
12 an error, especially in sports US, 1913. 13 a cash incentive
designed to improve a business deal US, 1997. 14 a linear amplifier
for a citizens’ band radio US, 1976. 15 acondomUS, 1966. 16 in
television and film making, a tripod cover US, 1987 8see: OLD BOOT.
< stick the boot in; put the boot in to kick a prostrate foe;
hence, figurative usage ‘to kick someone when they’re down’; (po-
litical and commercial) to take an unnecessary advantage, to
betray someone. In widespread usage since mid-C20; the figurative
sense has been known from the mid-1960s
UK, 1916. < the boot
is on the other foot; the boot is on the other leg
the
balance of power or responsibility has shifted to the opposing
party UK, 1866
boot verb 1 while injecting a drug, to draw blood into the syringe,
diluting the drug dose so as to prolong the effect of the injection
US, 1952. 2 to kick something, literally or in the slang sense of
‘breaking a habit’ US, 1877. 3 to dismiss someone from employment
UK, 1988. 4 to walk; to patrol on foot. Vietnam war usage US, 1905.
5 in horse racing, to spur or kick a horse during a race US, 1951. 6 in
a game, to misplay a ball US, 1976. 7 to vomit US, 1971. 8 in Alberta,
to purchase alcohol or tobacco illegally for a minor
CANADA, 2001.
< boot and rally to continue drinking after vomiting US, 1989.
< boot the gong to smoke marijuana. A play on KICK THE GONG

where GONG is ‘opium’ UK, 1998
bootalize verb to have sex BAHAMAS, 1982
boot-and-shoe adjective (used of a drug addict) desperately addicted
US, 1936
bootboy noun a member of the youth fashion and gang movement
that was synonymous with and then succeeded the skinheads.
Characterised by heavy lace-up boots (Doc Martens), tidy hair and
smart utilitarian wear; as a group, boot boys are associated with
aggressive behaviour, especially football hooliganism UK, 1972
booted adjective intoxicated by marijuana, or another narcotic drug
US, 1995
81 boom out | booted
booter noun a jockey with an inclination to spur his mount
incessantly
US, 1959
booth noun a room, especially a bedroom UK, 2002
booth bimbo; booth bunny noun an attractive, well-built,
sometimes scantily clad woman hired to work in a company’s
booth during a trade show
US, 1989
booties noun 1 rubber surf boots US, 1987. 2 in electric line work,
meter clip insulators US, 1980. 3 boots, especially knitted boots for a
baby
US, 1965
boot it!; boot it baby! used as an exhortation to continue US, 1968
bootlace noun < not be someone’s bootlace to not come close
to equalling another’s achievements
AUSTRALIA, 1959
bootleg noun 1 a pirated and illegally marketed recording. In the
1960s and 70s only dedicated music fans were really aware of such

product. The bootlegs of Bob Dylan’s music easily outnumbered
his official releases so, in 1991, his record company began to
release ‘The Bootleg Series’. As ever, other artists followed where
Dylan led. Alas many use it as an excuse to release material that
may otherwise not be of sufficient quality. ‘Bootleg’ has always
implied a lesser quality of recording, now it’s official
UK, 1951.
2 illegally manufactured alcohol US, 1898
bootleg verb 1 to manufacture or provide something illegally US, 1928.
2 to manufacture or distribute illegal alcohol US, 1922. 3 in roller
derby, to deviate from the scripted game plan US, 1999
bootleg adjective 1 smuggled; illegally copied; unofficial; counterfeit.
Derives from the practice of carrying a flat bottle of alcohol hidden
in a boot leg US, 1889. 2 imitation US, 1893. 3 inferior, shoddy US, 2002.
4 (used of an action paper) unofficial, advance US, 1986
bootlegger noun a manufacturer or a dealer in illegally
manufactured alcohol US, 1890
bootlegger turn noun a 180-degree turn executed while driving fast
accomplished by a combination of spinning the wheel, shifting
down the gears and accelerating US, 1955
bootleg tool noun a tool that is used by workers despite the fact
that it has not been approved by tooling inspectors US, 1955
bootlick verb to seek favour through obsequious behaviour US, 1845
bootlicker noun a person who seeks favour through obsequious
behaviour US, 1848
boot mooch noun a person who is always asking others for a ciga-
rette US, 1996
bootneck; bootie noun a Royal Marine UK, 1925
boot party noun a senseless beating, initiated for the sheer joy of
the beating CANADA, 2002

boot pie noun a series of kicks delivered in a scuffle UK, 1983
boot rest noun an accelerator pedal US, 1976
boots noun a tyre US, 1948. < put the boots to 1 to have sex with
someone US, 1933. 2 to kick someone, especially when they are on
the ground US, 1894
-boots suffix a person, when combined with a trait. Found in terms
such as BOSSY-BOOTS, ‘lazy-boots’, SLY-BOOTS and ‘smooth-boots’ UK,
1599
boots and all adverb enthusiastically, in a totally committed way
AUSTRALIA, 1953
boots and socks noun syphilis; hence any sexually transmitted
infection. Rhyming slang for
POX UK, 2003
boot scoot verb to dance side-by-side in a line to country and
western music US, 1991
bootstraps noun < pull yourself up by your bootstraps; raise
yourself by your own bootstraps
to try harder, to improve
yourself within a given area
UK, 1936
boot suppository noun any strong measure taken to encourage an
obnoxious patient to leave a hospital. An image based on a ‘kick
in the ass’
US, 1994
bootsy noun in a small hotel, a boots (the servant who was
employed to clean guest shoes) also working as a porter. In 1957,
The Army Game, a television situation comedy, introduced a
character called Bootsy; this workshy character, played by Alfie Bass
(1921–87), proved so popular that Bootsy and Snudge, a spin-off,
was aired. The elaboration of conventional ‘boots’ was not a great

leap
UK, 1966
bootsy adjective bad, unpleasant US, 2003
boot up verb to prepare for a fight US, 1998
booty adjective unpleasant; unattractive US, 1997
booty; bootie noun 1 the buttocks US, 1928. 2 the vagina US, 1925
booty bandit noun an aggressive, predatory male homosexual US,
1962
booty bump verb to ingest drugs, usually methamphetamine,
diluted in an enema
US, 2002
booty call noun a date made for the sole purpose of engaging in sex
US, 1997
booty cheddar noun nonsense US, 2003
booty-dance verb to shake the buttocks US, 2003
booty drought noun a sustained lack of sex US, 1989
booty juice noun the drug MDMA, the recreational drug best known
as ecstasy, dissolved in any liquid US, 1997
bootylicious adjective sexually attractive, especially with reference to
the buttocks. A compound of
BOOTY (the buttocks) and ‘delicious’
US, 2001
boo -yah!; booyaka!; boo -yakka! used for registering delight.
Echoic of gun use. West Indian and UK black UK, 1994
booyakasha!; boyakasha! used for registering delight. An elabor-
ation of BOO-YAKKA!; similarly echoic of gun use. Popularised in the
UK in the late 1990s by Ali G (comedian Sacha Baron-Cohen) UK,
2001
boo-yakka verb to shoot. Onomatopoeic UK, 1994
booze noun 1 alcoholic drink of any kind. In Australia generally

referring to beer UK, 1859. 2 a drinking-bout; drinking UK, 1864. < on
the booze
engaged in a period of hard drinking NEW ZEALAND, 1850
booze verb to drink alcohol, especially immoderately UK, 1325
booze artist noun a habitual drinker; an alcoholic AUSTRALIA, 1940
booze bag noun a blood alcohol measuring device of the early-type
that required a suspected drinker to blow into a bag
UK, 1969
booze balloon noun a heavy drinker’s protruding stomach US, 1979
booze belly noun the protruding stomach of a drunkard US, 1970
booze cruise noun 1 a return Channel-crossing from England to
France for the purpose of buying and importing cheaper (less
heavily taxed) alcohol US, 1979. 2 in Scotland, a pleasure cruise on
the Clyde, or on a loch or canal, during which the main pleasure
and purpose is heavy drinking UK: SCOTLAND, 1996. 3 a drive while
drinking US, 1992
boozed; boozed up adjective drunk. First recorded by amateur slang
lexicographer Benjamin Franklin in 1737; obsolete, perhaps, but
not forgotten
US, 1737
boozehound noun an alcoholic US, 1911
boozer noun 1 a drinker of alcohol; a habitual drinker; an alcoholic
UK, 1606. 2 a place where alcohol is served; a public house or bar UK,
1895
boozeroo noun 1 a drinking spree or party NEW ZEALAND, 1908. 2 a pub
NEW ZEALAND, 1963
booze-rooster noun a heavy drinker US, 1962
booze snooze noun a nap taken in anticipation of a night of
drinking US, 2004
booze-up noun a drinking bout UK, 1947

boozle noun sexual intercourse UK, 1960
boozorium noun a bar-room, especially in a hotel CANADA, 1975
boozy noun a drunkard IRELAND, 1977
boozy adjective mildly drunk UK, 1536
bop noun 1 a dance; any dance to popular music. Derives from
bebop (a jazz genre first recorded in 1945)
UK, 2001. 2 a dance party
booter | bop 82
US, 1973. 3 liveliness, spirit, rhythm US, 1997. 4 a blow; a punch US,
1932
. 5 a member of a youth gang US, 1958. 6 nonsense US, 1973.
7 phencyclidine, the recreational drug known as PCP or angel dust
US, 1995
bop verb 1 to dance to popular or rock music. Abbreviated and
adapted from bebop (a jazz genre first recorded in 1945)
UK, 1978.
2 to move with rhythm US, 1959. 3 to have sex with someone US,
1974
. 4 to engage in gang fighting US, 1950. 5 to hit someone, to beat
someone UK, 1928. 6 to murder someone UK, 1999. 7 in team
gambling, to move to a card table identified by a confederate
counting cards there to be primed for better-than-average odds
US,
1985. 8 to leave. Black urban youth slang UK, 2006. < bop the
baloney
(of a male) to masturbate US, 1983
bo peep noun a look or polite search AUSTRALIA, 1941
Bo Peep; Little Bo Peep noun sleep; a sleep. Rhyming slang,
formed from the name of a nursery rhyme character (who should
have been counting sheep) UK, 1960

bop glasses noun horn-rimmed eye glasses. From the style favoured
by bop jazz musicians US, 1958
bop ’n slop verb to lose your inhibitions and enjoy yourself at a
party US, 1968
bop off verb to leave US, 1959
bopper noun 1 a fighter, especially a gang fighter US, 1958. 2 a song in
the style of bebop jazz US, 1965
boppers noun shoes US, 1975
boppy adjective affected gang mannerisms US, 1967
boracic noun smooth, insincere talk UK, 1950
boracic lint; boracic; brassic; brassick adjective having little or no
money, penniless. Rhyming slang for SKINT (penniless) UK, 1959
Borax noun any low quality retail merchandise that is impressive on
first glance US, 1929
border noun 1 a capsule of a noncommercial barbiturate compound
US, 1971. 2 a woman’s pubic hair. A cultivated variation of the
GARDEN theme UK, 2001
border work noun subtle markings on the printed edge of the back
of a playing card for identification of the card by a cheat US, 1988
bore verb < bore the pants off to bore someone utterly UK, 1954.
< bore the twat off to bore someone utterly UK, 1993
bore it up verb to attack someone; to harangue or verbally abuse
someone AUSTRALIA, 1951
borer noun a knife UK, 2002
boress noun a practical joke US, 1958
Boris Becker noun the penis. Rhyming slang for PECKER,formed
from the name of the German tennis player (b.1967) UK, 2003
born-again noun a devout, conservative Christian who professes to
have been born again in a religious sense. Often uttered without
sympathy US, 1986

born-again adjective used derisively to describe anyone who
expediently and enthusiastically adopts, or is re-associated with, an
earlier belief or stance. A satirical adoption of a fundamental
Christian tenet US, 1977
born in a trunk adjective born into a family in show business US, 1981
Boro noun a Marlboro™ cigarette US, 1996
boro-boros noun old clothes worn for dirty tasks. Hawaiian youth
usage US, 1981
borrow noun an act of borrowing. Especially in the phrase ‘can I
have a borrow?’ UK, 1999. < on the borrow on the scrounge,
cadging
UK, 1937
borrow verb 1 to steal US, 1821. 2 to arrest someone. Metropolitan
Police slang; a narrow sense of conventional ‘borrow’ (to take tem-
porary possession) UK, 1970
Borrowers noun < the Borrowers the UK armed forces. This
nickname, used by the US armed forces of their UK allies, mocks
the paucity of basic supplies such as toilet paper that force the UK
troops to beg from their American neighbours. Probably
influenced by The Borrowers, Mary Norton, 1952, and the 1998
Hollywood film version
US, 2003
borrow pit; barrow; bar pit noun in rural western Canada, the pit
from which earth is being removed for construction purposes
CANADA, 1987
borsch! used for expressing disgust US, 1968
Borscht Belt noun a group of resort hotels in the Catskill Mountains
of the eastern US with a primarily Jewish clientele. Alluding to the
cold beet soup ‘borscht’ because of the eastern European heritage
of many of the Jewish guests

US, 1941
Borscht circuit noun the Borscht belt US, 1936
bory adjective 1 big, large. English gypsy use, from Romany bawro UK,
2000
. 2 pregnant. English gypsy use, from the previous sense UK, 2000
bo selecta! used in approval of a dance music DJ’s performance or
technique. Bo Selecta! was used as the title of a Channel 4
television comedy programme first broadcast in 2002
UK, 1999
bosh noun nonsense UK, 1834
bosh verb 1 to swallow drugs, especially in tablet-form; to inhale
drug-smoke UK, 1996. 2 to put an end to something. An extension of
‘put the KIBOSH to’ US, 1997
bosh adjective performed quickly and without great thought UK, 2000
bosh! used for registering a humorous victory or triumphant action.
Echoic of a comedy sound effect UK, 1998
bosker adjective splendid AUSTRALIA, 1904
boso noun used as a term of address to a male whom the speaker
deems socially superior FIJI, 1993
boson noun in computing, an imaginary concept, the smallest poss-
ible unit measuring the bogus content of something US, 1997
boss noun 1 used as an informal address or reference to the officer
in command UK, 1987. 2 the commanding officer AUSTRALIA, 1988. 3 a
marine drill instructor US, 1991. 4 a prison guard or official US, 1970.
5 the owner or man in charge of a large rural property AUSTRALIA,
1902. 6 the best US, 1878. 7 in poker, the best hand at a given
moment US, 1990. 8 pure heroin US, 1961. 9 the penis. Either a male
coinage or heavily ironic US, 2001. 10 in carnival usage, a person
whom thieves use to estimate the value of articles that they have
stolen US, 1981. < the boss your wife. Jocular, probably AUSTRALIA,

1984
Boss noun < the Boss songwriter and musician Bruce Springsteen
(b.1949) US, 1980
boss adjective very good, excellent. The word was around for 70 years
before taking off; it was popular beyond description in 1965 and
1966
US, 1873
boss used as a sentence-ending intensifier SINGAPORE, 2002
boss Charley noun a white person or white people collectively US,
1967
boss cocky noun 1 an owner of a rural property who employs labour
AUSTRALIA, 1879. 2 a self-important person in authority; one who
lords it over others AUSTRALIA, 1902
boss-eyed adjective 1 having only one eye; having only one good
eye; having a squint, cross-eyed UK, 1860. 2 lopsided, skewed; wrong
UK, 1898
boss game noun a highly developed, status-conscious sense of style
US, 1975
boss (her) verb in trucking, to back a tractor and trailer into position
US, 1971
boss hoss noun an admired, popular man US, 1968
bossin’ adjective excellent. Youth slang UK, 2000
bossman noun a male leader. Elaboration of BOSS US, 1934
Bosstown nickname Boston, Massachusetts. The nickname and the
presumed rock and roll genre of the ‘Bosstown Sound’ were largely
the artificial engineerings of a record company executive trying to
convince the record-buying world that groups such as Ultimate
Spinach, Bagatelle, Beacon Street Union and Earth Opera were
worth their record-buying dollars
US, 1982

bossy-boots noun a domineering person UK, 1983
83 bop | bossy-bo ots
Boston coffee noun 1 tea. A historical allusion to the Boston Tea
Party
US, 1960. 2 coffee with a lot of cream or milk US, 1958
Boston Glob nickname the Boston Globe newspaper US, 1981
Boston marriage noun an arrangement in which two women live
together in an outwardly platonic relationship US, 2001
Boston quarter noun a tip of five or ten cents. A jab at the
parsimony of New Englanders
US, 1942
Boston screwdriver noun a hammer US, 1969
Boston States noun New England, from the Maritime Provinces
perspective CANADA, 1948
Boston tea party noun a sexual fetish in which the sadist defecates
or urinates on the masochist US, 1967
bot noun 1 the buttocks, the bottom. Also spelt ‘bott’ UK, 1961. 2 an
on-line software agent that performs a specified task. Short for
‘robot’ US, 1996. 3 a habitual cadger. From the sense as ‘a parasitic
worm, a maggot’ AUSTRALIA, 1916
bot verb to cadge something AUSTRALIA, 1921
-bot suffix used in combination with a noun or abbreviated noun to
create a robotic entity or creature with mechanical characteristics.
From ‘robot’ US, 1978
botanist noun a physician who views his patients as having plant-
level intelligence US, 1978
Botany Bay verb to run away. Rhyming slang. Botany Bay was the
name given to the original penal settlement in Australia
AUSTRALIA,
1945

Botch nickname the Canadian Basic Officer Training Course CANADA,
1995
bother noun trouble UK, 1834
bother verb < bother your arse; bother your shirt; bother
your bunnit; bother your puff
to make an effort. Glasgow slang
UK: SCOTLAND, 1985
bother!; bother it! used for registering annoyance UK, 1840
botheration noun annoyance; nuisance. Often used as an
exclamation of annoyance UK, 1797
bothered! used sarcastically for expressing a lack of care or interest
in something that has just been spoken of UK, 1937
both-eye principle noun the careful surveillance of company oper-
ations, in a large family business
CANADA, 2002
both ways noun 1 a wager that a selected horse, dog, etc will finish
a race in the first three. Also heard as ‘each way’ UK, 1869. 2 abetin
craps both that the shooter will win and that the shooter will lose.
In craps, gamblers can bet that the shooter will win, that he will
lose, or both US, 1950. < go both ways 1 to be willing to play both
the active and passive role in homosexual sex
US, 1972. 2 to be
bisexual US, 1988
botray noun crack cocaine UK, 1998
Botties; Botanicals nickname the Royal Botanical Gardens in
Sydney, Australia
AUSTRALIA, 1981
bottle noun 1 courage, nerve, spirits. A figurative sense of the
rhyming slang BOTTLE AND GLASS,(ARSE). If you lose your nerve you
are said to ‘lose your bottle’ (to lose control of your arse), literally

‘to defecate uncontrollably as a result of fear’
UK, 1958. 2 a dose of
crack cocaine, whether or not it is actually in a small bottle US, 1992.
3 a small container of amphetamine or methamphetamine in
liquid form US, 1980. 4 in betting, odds of 2–1 UK, 1991. 5 in electric
and telephone line work, any glass insulator US, 1980. < on the
bottle
engaged as a pickpocket. From rhyming slang BOTTLE OF
FIZZ
for THE WHIZ and thus a direct translation from ON THE WHIZ UK,
2003. < the bottle, big house, or box in twelve-step recovery
programmes such as Alcoholics Anonymous, used as a description
of the three options for an addict who does not recover from their
addiction – a return to drinking, prison and death
US, 1998
bottle verb 1 to attack someone with a bottle, especially in the face
UK, 1984. 2 to lose your nerve, to back down. A contraction of
BOTTLE OUT;acontradictionofBOTTLE (nerve). Often in the
expression ‘bottle it’ UK, 1999. 3 to have anal sex, especially with a
woman. From rhyming slang BOTTLE AND GLASS (ARSE) UK, 1961. 4 of a
man, to have sex with a woman; to impregnate a woman UK, 1961.
5 to lick someone’s anus. Homosexual use; from rhyming slang
BOTTLE AND GLASS (ARSE) UK, 1984. 6 to smell badly, to stink UK, 1979.
7 in prison, to conceal articles such as drugs or money in the
rectum. From rhyming slang
BOTTLE AND GLASS (ARSE) UK, 1996
bottle and glass noun 1 quality; elegant behaviour. Rhyming slang
for CLASS, usually as a negative UK, 1959. 2 the backside; the anus.
Can be shortened to ‘bottle’. Rhyming slang for ARSE. This rhyme
extends to

APRIL IN PARIS UK, 1930
bottle and a half noun in betting, odds of 5–2. In bookmaker slang
BOTTLE is 2–1, here the addition of a half increases the odds to
2½-1 or 5–2.
UK, 1991
bottle and stopper noun a police officer. Rhyming slang for COPPER.
Sometimes shortened to ‘bottle’
US, 1928
bottle baby noun an alcoholic US, 1925
bottle blonde noun a person whose blonde hair is the result of
bleach, not nature
US, 1972
bottle-cap colonel noun a lieutenant colonel in the US Army.
Vietnam war usage. From the insignia US, 1986
bottle club noun a business disguised as a club in an attempt to
circumvent alcohol laws US, 1951
bottle dealer noun a drug dealer who sells pills in large quantities
US, 1971
bottle-fed adjective said of a car engine that is being tested with
petrol fed from a bottle through a rubber hose US, 1992
bottle man noun a drunkard US, 1944
bottle merchant; bottler noun a coward, someone who loses
nerve. From BOTTLE (nerve) and BOTTLE OUT (to lose your nerve) UK,
2000
bottleneck noun 1 a style of guitar playing in which a smooth piece
of metal or glass is moved smoothly up and down the fretboard
creating a glissando effect. The original device was, in fact, the
neck of a bottle worn over the finger US, 1973. 2 a marijuana pipe
made from the neck of a beer or soft drink bottle SOUTH AFRICA, 2004
bottle of beer noun the ear. Rhyming slang, always used in full UK,

1961
bottle of fizz verb to work as a pickpocket; to steal something
quickly as an opportunity arises. Rhyming slang for THE WHIZZ
(pickpocketing) UK, 1938
bottle of scent noun a male homosexual. Rhyming slang for BENT
UK
, 2003
bottle of water noun a daughter. Rhyming slang UK, 1961
bottle-oh noun a person who collects and sells used bottles
AUSTRALIA, 1898
bottle out verb to lose your nerve. From BOTTLE (nerve), a
contraction of ‘bottle fallen out’ UK, 1979
bottler noun 1 a man who takes the active role in anal sex. Extended
from the verb BOTTLE. (to have anal sex) UK, 1961. 2 someone or
something that is excellent. Origin unknown AUSTRALIA, 1855. 3 a
collector of money for a street-entertainer. Used by showmen and
buskers
UK, 1935 8see: BOTTLE MERCHANT
bottler; bottling adjective superlatively good, excellent AUSTRALIA, 1959
bottletop noun something gained; a thing of some value. Rhyming
slang on COP (to obtain) but used as a noun; sometimes
abbreviated to ‘bottle’ UK, 1974
bottle top verb to catch, gain or understand something. Rhyming
slang on various senses of the verb COP. Sometimes heard as an
abbreviated ‘bottle’ UK, 1974
bottle to the field noun in racing, bookmaker’s odds of 2–1 UK, 1967
bottle up verb to repress or contain your feelings UK, 1853
bottle up and go verb to leave US, 1947
bottley adjective nervous. From BOTTLE (courage, nerve, spirits) UK, 2000
bottom noun 1 the buttocks. A colloquial usage, delightfully defined

in the Oxford English Dictionary as follows: ‘The sitting part of a
man, the posteriors, the seat’ UK, 1699. 2 the submissive partner in
a homosexual or sado-masochistic relationship
US, 1961
Boston coffee | bottom 84
Bottom nickname Miami, Florida US, 1991
bottom bitch noun the pimp’s favourite of the prostitutes working
for him; the leader of the prostitutes
US, 1967
bottom burp; botty burp; burp; botty banger noun afartUK, 1984
bottom dollar noun your last dollar. Heard in the context of betting
your ‘bottom dollar’
US, 1954
bottom end noun in drag racing, the portion of the track just after
the starting line
US, 1960
bottom feeder noun 1 a despised person of low-status who grasps
any opportunity or means of survival. An allusion to the
underwater lifestyle of certain fish US, 1980. 2 in poker, a low-betting
player who tries to eke out meagre winnings against unskilled
players
US, 1996
bottom fisher noun a stock investor looking for stocks with a poor
recent showing US, 1988
bottom girl noun the pimp’s favourite of the prostitutes working for
him; the leader of the prostitutes
US, 1973
bottom line noun the final analysis US, 1967
bottom man noun the passive partner in a homosexual relationship
US, 1972

bottoms noun 1 dice that have been marked to have two identical
faces US, 1962. 2 the worst US, 1955
bottom’s up noun a common position for anal and/or vaginal sex, in
which the passive partner lies on their stomach US, 1960
bottoms up! used as a toast. From drinking by upturning a glass or
abottleUK, 1917
bottom weight a minimum amount UK, 1962
bottom woman noun the pimp’s favourite of the prostitutes
working for him; the leader of the prostitutes US, 1969
Botts’ dots noun small bumps delineating lanes on motorways US,
1971
botty; bottie noun the human bottom. Originally of a baby’s or
child’s posterior; now less specific but usage is generally childish
UK, 1874
botzelbaum pie noun an upside-down pie. Used in Mennonite
Waterloo County, Ontario CANADA, 2001
boubou noun crack cocaine. A possible play on BEBE, BOULYA or
BOULDER (crack cocaine) UK, 1998
boucher noun in Franco-Ontario, a fiddle player. Boucher is French
for ‘butcher’, and is applied to fiddle playing from the fact that the
player ‘saws and saws’ to make music CANADA, 1969
boudoir noun an army tent US, 1945
bougie; bouji adjective bourgeois US, 1975
boulder; boulders noun crack cocaine; a piece of crack cocaine.
Built on the
ROCK metaphor US, 1998
boulder baby noun a crack cocaine addict. From the ROCK metaphor
US, 2002
boulder-holder; over-the-shoulder boulder-holder noun a
brassiere UK, 1970

boulevard noun 1 a long, straight hallway US, 1965. 2 in trucking, a
major motorway US, 1986
boulevard boy noun a young male prostitute in an urban setting US,
1987
boulya noun crack cocaine. A possible play on BOULDER (crack
cocaine) UK, 1998
bounce noun 1 a brainstorming session US, 1984. 2 a jail or prison
sentence US, 1957. 3 an air-to-air attack US, 1943. 4 in horse racing, a
poorly run race followed by a well-run race US, 1997. < on the
bounce consecutively, one after the other UK, 2001. < the bounce
bouncers, door-security, collectively UK, 2005
bounce verb 1 to maintain order in a bar or nightclub, ejecting
people from the premises if necessary US, 1874. 2 (of a cheque) to
be returned as worthless by the bank with which it has been
drawn
US, 1936. 3 to leave US, 1996. 4 (used of a message sent
electronically) to return to the sender, undeliverable as addressed
US, 1991. 5 to pay; to provide without charge US, 1970. 6 to activate a
car’s suspension system so as to cause the car to bounce up and
down
US, 1980
bounce back noun thereturnofanoverdraftUS, 1949
bounce back verb to recover or return from a setback UK, 1950
bouncer noun 1 a person, usually a strong man, employed to
maintain and restore order in a bar, restaurant, club or perform-
ance. In the UK, ‘bouncers’ collectively are
THE BOUNCE. US, 1883.
2 the female breast. Obvious imagery and, equally obvious, usually
in the plural
UK, 1972. 3 a brakevan (caboose) US, 1946

bounce shot noun in a dice game, a type of controlled shot by a
skilled cheat US, 1950
bouncing Betty noun a land-mine first used in World War 2, preva-
lent in Vietnam, that bounces waist-high and then sprays shrapnel
when triggered
US, 1943
bouncing powder noun cocaine US, 1971
bouncy-bouncy noun sexual intercourse US, 1960
bounder noun someone whose manners or company are
unacceptable; hence a vulgar and unwelcome pretender to polite
society; a nuisance. Survives in ironic usage, often applied to
inanimate objects
UK, 1889
boungy; bungy noun the anus BAHAMAS, 1982
bounty noun a black person who sides with the white authorities.
Derives from ‘Bounty’, a chocolate and coconut confection that is
brown on the outside and white on the inside
UK, 1996
Bounty bar noun an Indian person who is considered to have
exchanged heritage and community values for acceptance by
white society. After the chocolate coated coconut branded
confectionery. British Indian (Hindi) urban slang.
UK, 2006
bouquet straight noun in poker, a sequenced hand comprised of all
red or all black suits, but not a flush. It looks impressive, but is
worth no more than any non-flush straight US, 1996
bourbon bibber noun an oil worker from Kentucky US, 1954
Bourke shower noun a dust storm. Bourke is an inland town in
New South Wales. Other locations similarly used by nature,
weather and irony: Bedourie, Bogan, Cobar, Darling, Wilcannia and

Wimmera
AUSTRALIA, 1945
Bournville Boulevard noun theanus,therectum.Cadbury’s
chocolate is made in Bournville, in Birmingham; a UK version of
HERSHEY HIGHWAY UK, 1997
Boutros Boutros Ghali; boutros noun cocaine. Rhyming slang for
CHARLIE (cocaine), formed on the name of the Secretary General of
the United Nations, 1992–1996
UK, 2003
bovina noun in homosexual usage, a woman, especially one with
large breasts US, 1980
bovver noun trouble, fighting, violent behaviour, especially when
associated with skinhead culture. From a London pronunciation of
‘bother’ UK, 1969
bovver boot noun a heavy-duty boot used as a kicking-weapon,
stereotypically worn by a skinhead UK, 1969
bovver boy noun a member of a hooligan gang, generally character-
ised as a skinhead, and therefore associated with extreme right-
wing, racist violence. Extended from
BOVVER (trouble) and very
rarely seen in the singular UK, 1970
bow noun the elbow. Elbows used to establish position are a key part
of the anatomy in basketball US, 1980. < on the bow gratis;
scrounging. From an earlier, related sense (without paying) UK, 1938
bow verb to perform an act of oral sex. From the conventional sense
(bending at the waist) JAMAICA, 1995
bow and arrow noun 1 a native American Indian; Indian ancestry US,
1930. 2 a sparrow. Cockney rhyming slang UK, 1931
bow-and-arrow adjective not armed with a pistol US, 1984
bow and quiver noun the liver, especially in contexts of irritability or

liverishness. Rhyming slang UK, 1961
bow-cat noun a man who fellates. A combination of BOW (oral sex)
and CAT (a man) JAMAICA, 1995
85 Bottom | bow-cat
bower bird noun an avid collector of many and various things. From
the mating habit of certain male bower birds which collect
coloured items to make a display for females
AUSTRALIA, 1926
bowl noun 1 a pipe for smoking marijuana, hashish or crack cocaine
US, 1974. 2 an approximate measure of marijuana, between one
thirtysecond and one sixteenth of an ounce. The amount needed
to fill a pipe
US, 1972. 3 in cricket, a period of bowling UK, 1961
bowl basher noun the active male in anal sex AUSTRALIA, 1985
bowl brandy noun faeces, excrement UK, 2002
bowlegged adjective (of prison sentences) concurrent US, 1990
bowler noun an ugly girl. Uncertain origin, possibly from ‘bow’,
abbreviated from
BOW-WOW, with the suffix -ER IRELAND, 2003
bowling green noun a fast stretch of railway line UK, 1970
bowl it around verb to strut and posture in an unsubtly masculine
way. Teen slang
UK, 2003
bowlodrome noun a bowling alley US, 1953
bowlster noun abowlerUS, 1953
bows noun < take bows to falsely take credit for something US, 1997
bowser noun 1 a dog US, 1965. 2 by extension, an ugly person US, 1978.
3 a petrol pump AUSTRALIA, 1918
bowser bag noun a container used by restaurants to package
unfinished meals to be taken home by diners. A variation on the

more common DOGGY BAG US, 1965
bowsie noun a disreputable drunkard, a lout, a quarrelsome drunkard
IRELAND, 1990
bowsprit noun an erect penis. It does not take much imagination to
see the comparison
UK, 1741
bow tie noun 1 a married woman’s lover NEW ZEALAND, 1948. 2 a
Chevrolet car US, 1993
bow-wow noun a ’dog’, literally and in its slang senses US, 1935
box noun 1 the vagina; a woman UK, 1605. 2 the posterior, the
buttocks. Originally black, then gay usage US, 1965. 3 a jail or prison.
Usually heard as ‘the box’ US, 1995. 4 a secure prison cubicle for a
one-to-one visit
UK, 1978. 5 a cell used for solitary confinement US,
1976. 6 asafeUS, 1902. 7 in a court of law, the witness box AUSTRALIA,
1973. 8 approximately 20 one-kilogram plates of pressed hashish
CANADA, 2002. 9 a small amount of marijuana, approximately
enough to fill a matchbox US, 1967. 10 a guitar. May also refer to a
banjo US, 1911. 11 a piano US, 1908. 12 a record player UK, 1924. 13 a
large, portable radio and tape player. A shortened GHETTO BOX US,
1985. 14 television. Usually after ‘the’ US, 1950. 15 apolygraph
machine US, 1997. 16 an old and inferior car US, 1973. 17 a new car
showroom US, 1989. 18 a coffin UK, 1864. 19 in bar dice games, a
leather or vinyl cup used to shake dice before spilling them out US,
1976. 20 in horse racing, a combination bet that covers many differ-
ent possible outcomes US, 2001. 21 in horse racing, a horse stall
AUSTRALIA, 1989. 22 a pool table, especially a large one US, 1990. 23 in
the sport of fencing, an electric recording apparatus UK, 1988. 24 a
reinforced item of underwear designed to protect a sportsman’s
genitals

UK, 1961. 25 a person who is profoundly out of touch with
current trends. A three-dimensional SQUARE US, 1976. 26 in the Royal
Air Force, an aircraft cockpit simulator UK, 1984. 27 in the Vietnam
war, an aerial target zone approximately 5/8 of a mile wide by 2
miles long US, 1988. 28 a submarine’s main battery UK, 1979. < in
the box
1 engaged in vaginal sex US, 1972. 2 dealing drugs US, 1997.
< off your box; out of your box 1 drunk or drug-intoxicated
UK, 1981. 2 mentally disturbed; behaving erratically. Perhaps an
allusion to the Greek myth of Pandora’s box and the evils it
contained UK, 2000. < out of the box in motor racing, exactly as
produced by the manufacturer, without any modifications US, 1993.
< put someone in the box to kill someone US, 2000. < take a
box
to defecate IRELAND, 1995. < take someone out of the box
to kill someone US, 1995
box verb 1 to confirm the death of a hospital patient US, 1977. 2 to die
US, 1994. 3 in an illegal lottery, to bet on a group of related numbers
rather than a single number US, 1974. 4 to make a mistake; to
muddle things. Originally referred to mixing flocks of sheep
AUSTRALIA, 1873. < box clever to use your wits; to behave shrewdly
UK, 1936. < box the fox to steal apples. Origin obscure IRELAND,
1976
. < couldn’t box chocolates; couldn’t box kippers to be a
poor quality boxer. Punning on conventional senses of ‘box’
UK, 1936
Box 100 noun the notional repository for information given to police
by informants
US, 1979
box bag noun the amount of marijuana (the bag) which can be

bought for a carton of cigarettes (the box)
US, 1992
box boy noun a DJ’s assistant who has the responsibility for the DJ’s
boxes of records
UK, 2001
boxcar noun 1 any four-engine bomber US, 1946. 2 a prison cell US, 1982.
3 an amphetamine or central nervous system stimulant US, 1992
boxcar numbers noun a lot of money US, 1950
boxcars noun 1 in horse racing, high odds. From the high numbers
used to identify railway carriages US, 1934. 2 in a game of dice, a roll
of two sixes
US, 1949. 3 in poker, a pair of sixes or three sixes. A
borrowing from the game of craps
US, 1988. 4 any large number; a
long prison sentence US, 1950
boxcar tourist noun a hobo travelling by freight train US, 1946
boxed adjective 1 marijuana-intoxicated US, 1958. 2 muscular, well-
toned US, 1997. 3 incarcerated US, 1970
boxer noun 1 an urban youth with a large and loud portable radio
and tape player UK, 1983. 2 a person running a game of two-up
AUSTRALIA, 1911. 3 a railway boxcar US, 1977
boxes noun in craps, a roll of two fours US, 1983
BoxFive;BoxSix;Boxnickname the UK secret intelligence services
UK, 2002
boxfresh adjective of shoes, especially trainers, unworn UK, 2003
boxie noun a person with bleached blond hair US, 1987
boxies noun men’s boxer shorts, 2001
boxing glove noun a condom. Playing on BOX (the vagina; the male
genitals; sexual intercourse), with GLOVE (a condom) UK, 1998
boxing Josh noun masturbation BAHAMAS, 1982

box-it noun a mixture of cheap wine and cider UK, 1982
box-kicker noun a supply clerk in the US Marines US, 1998
boxla noun box lacrosse. Lacrosse, an Indian game, was played
practically without side boundaries and with goals as much as a
half mile apart. Box lacrosse introduced side boards and a playing
surface the size of a hockey rink
CANADA, 1958
box lunch; box lunch at the Y noun oral sex on a woman. The
character Y resembles a woman’s groin; plays on BOX (the vagina)
US, 1964
box man noun a criminal who specialises in breaking into safes US,
1902
box of birds; box of ducks noun a state of great contentment NEW
ZEALAND
, 1943
box of fruit; bowl of fruit noun a suit. Rhyming slang NEW ZEALAND,
1963
box of L noun a box of 100 ampoules containing methamphet-
amine hydrochloride (trade name Methedrine™), a central nervous
system stimulant
US, 1973
box of sharks noun used for expressing great surprise, in phrases
such as: ’she nearly gave birth to a box of sharks’ CANADA, 1984
box of tricks; bag of tricks noun a tool box, or any similar
receptacle; a notional repertoire of tools and skills needed for any
purpose UK, 1953
box-on noun a fight, a struggle AUSTRALIA, 1919
box on verb to continue fighting; to persevere with anything import-
ant or strenuous AUSTRALIA, 1919
box on wheels noun a hearse US, 1976

box screw noun a bank guard US, 1949
box seat noun the most advantageous area off a beach for a surfer
to catch a wave
AUSTRALIA, 1965
box shot noun in a dice game in which the dice are rolled from a
cup, a controlled shot US, 1950
bower bird | box shot 86